eldritch

[ el-drich ]

/ ˈɛl drɪtʃ /

Save This Word!

adjective

eerie; weird; spooky.

QUIZ

ARE YOU A TRUE BLUE CHAMPION OF THESE "BLUE" SYNONYMS?

We could talk until we're blue in the face about this quiz on words for the color "blue," but we think you should take the quiz and find out if you're a whiz at these colorful terms.

Question 1 of 8

Which of the following words describes “sky blue”?

navy

beryl

azure

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Meet Grammar Coach

Write or paste your essay, email, or story into Grammar Coach and get grammar help

Improve Your Writing

Meet Grammar CoachImprove Your Writing

Also el·drich; el·ritch

[el-rich] /ˈɛl rɪtʃ/ .

Origin of eldritch

1500–10; earlier elrich, equivalent to Old English el- foreign, strange, uncanny (see else) + rīce kingdom (see rich); hence “of a strange country, pertaining to the Otherworld”; compare Old English ellende in a foreign land, exiled (cognate with German Elend penury, distress)

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

How to use eldritch in a sentence

The little man laughed a little laugh, sharp and eldrich, at the strange cowardice of the stalwart dare-devil.
What Will He Do With It, Complete|Edward Bulwer-Lytton
In one of their walks, which had been protracted more than usual, they were returning homewards by the Eldrich Stone.
Wilson's Tales of the Borders and of Scotland|Various
She did it with a look of hesitation and bashfulness, quite unlike the eldrich boldness and brightness which was usual with her.
Uncle Tom's Cabin|Harriet Beecher Stowe
You cannot imagine what a weird effect these eldrich bushes had upon my mind.
The Shirley Letters from California Mines in 1851-52|Louise Amelia Knapp Smith Clappe

British Dictionary definitions for eldritch

eldritch

eldrich

/ (ˈɛldrɪtʃ) /

adjective

poetic, Scot unearthly; weird

Word Origin for eldritch

C16: perhaps from Old English ælf elf + rīce realm; see rich

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012